Clothing Care for Washable Handmade and Vintage Clothing

Introduction

Many vintage sewing books have chapters devoted to the hand laundering and pressing of delicate and handmade clothing. Detailed instructions also include how to block wo0len sweaters, pre-shrink wools, and prepare silks for ironing.

Paris Frocks At Home was published by the Butterick Publishing Company in 1930. It, too, includes instructions on how to hand wash lingerie and clothing the seamstress makes. The wonder of it all fills the chapter as the authors praise the lightweight fabrics and simple lines of the fashions of that time. Even laundering was simplified. What we call handwashing or hand laundering is termed “tubbing” in the book. This is just another way to describe washing delicate clothes in a wash basin or separate tub.

Part of the section about ironing follows the one about tubbing. More to come in the next posting.

I hope you enjoy this excerpt. After sharing excerpts on pressing from Paris Frocks At Home, I will detail my own approach to laundering and care of washable vintage and handmade clothing. I am making the information from Paris Frocks at Home available for its historical value and as a way to compare clothing care in 1930 with clothing care in 2023.

Paris Frocks At Home: Tubbing you clothes

To be continued.